EAC turns down Sudan's application to join bloc

By Luke Anami in Bujumbura, Posted November 2, 2011

The East African Heads of States Summit turned down Sudan's application to join the community because its application does not meet set criteria.

 However, the Heads of States directed the Council of Ministers to consider South Sudan’s application at the forthcoming extraordinary meeting of the EAC scheduled for the first half of next year.

The summit dismissed Sudan’s application because it "does not meet the criterion on geographical proximity and contiguity." "According to the EAC Treaty and rules of procedure for admission of foreign countries, expansion of country membership of the EAC to include any foreign country is based on the country’s acceptance of the community as set out in the treaty," said Richard Sezibera, the EAC secretary general, who read the communiquÈ.

Based on the treaty, a country can be admitted if it adheres to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice. Sudan did not meet these ones, either.

"It is based on the criteria requiring such a country’s establishment and maintenance of a market driven economy and social and economic policies being compatible with those of the community," Dr Sezibera said.

The decision to reject the application was not only chaired by President Kibaki but also made days after a Kenyan court ruling that Sudan President Omar Al Bashir be arrested should he set foot in Kenya.

Setback

The EAC move on Sudan is considered as a setback to Nairobi’s efforts to restore soured diplomatic ties with Khartoum.

The summit also received a report that South Sudan applied on November 11 to join the EAC.

The summit considered and adopted the report of the team of experts on fears, concerns and challenges on the political federation.

The heads of state, including Kenya’s Kibaki, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Burundi’s Pierre Nkurunziza, Tanzania VP Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal and Rwanda’s PM Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, approved the protocol on prevention and combating corruption and the protocol on immunities and privileges for EAC, its organs and institutions for conclusion.

Source: The Standard

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